A Picture Share!

Happy kiddo

I Learned a New Word Today!

Solipsism:
1. The theory that the self is the only thing that can be known and verified.
2. The theory or view that the self is the only reality.

I'm sure I've said it before, but in case you didn't catch it: I'm a big fan of Penn & Teller. I've seen them live in Las Vegas, bought a few of their books and DVDs, and I read Penn Jillette's contributions to various magazines and websites whenever I come across them.

Recently I just installed Google Desktop on my computer at work, and I'm really liking it. One of the things it adds is a What's Hot panel that shows you things that are new and popular on the 'net. That's how I came across this article, and thus learned my new word. It's a great read, and the website itself is an interesting way to spend some time too.

Hope everyone had a Happy Turkey Day, and you're spending the day burning all the calories you racked up yesterday... We got some good pictures yesterday, including some shots or Ryan discovering that you can stick black olives on your fingers and sing and dance at the same time. I swear it's true... I've got the pics to prove it... I'll get them uploaded this weekend!

Brian wins...

With only a couple days left, it looks like Brian wins the "7 Day Posting Marathon"... We had company over last night, and by the time I got around to posting, it was already today, so I didn't see the point.

So congrats Brian; not there was ever any doubt who the more consistent poster was... I just like seeing you vent sometime.

We had a great weekend, got a lot of things done, and spent some fun time as a family. Got a short week coming up, and then begins the crazy holiday season. I have mixed feelings go into it. I'm really looking forward to spending my first Christmas with Ryan, but there's always the holiday "blahs" to deal with it... Oh well, it'll be worth it.

Now I just have 1 week to talk Shelley into getting a REAL tree.

The Internet is a scary place...

... mostly because it seems to cultivate individuals like this. I'm not kidding, this is a real person...

In other news; last week Jack Thompson claimed to be removing himself from the Alabama case because he was dismayed that it was focusing on him and not the "real issue"... Today the judge denied his petition to remove himself, then threw him off the case.

What a great way to end the week! Suck it Jack!

I'll try to post more later, but things are looking hectic for the next couple of days.

Love to all!

Only 37 shopping days left...?

Wow... it just dawned on me that next week is Thanksgiving, and that means it's just about 5 weeks left until Xmas... When did this happen? Wasn't it just Halloween a few weeks ago?

Ok, I admit it... it's only the third day into this "7 days of posting" thing, and I already have writers block. Fact of the matter is, I had forgotten all about it, and I'm sitting at work right now, at 10:30pm trying to come up with something interesting enough to warrant my faithful few readers visiting... Sadly, I'm coming up with nothing.

Why am I at work? Because this is the best time to get things done. The network is crucial to the daily operations, and I can't make any changes without effecting large numbers of people. So typically I come in a couple nights a week after hours, and can just play music and tackle projects. Currently I'm placing a new exchange server online, to replace the aging one that refuses cooperate with most reasonable network requests. The fact that it's still able to receive and process email amazes me on a daily basis.

I found this comic a few weeks ago, and I can't remember where I got it from... if you recognize, let me know:



That gives me a GREAT idea... I know how to fill up some space here! It's been a while since I posted some C&H. The scariest thing is how much I can see Ryan in each of these:









By the way, I've decided that when Ryan is around 6 years old, I'm finding a tiger costume for Halloween... we're going to get a picture like this:



... and I'm sure this in my future...



Ok, my server install is done, so I need to finish this up and get home. I'm having WoW withdrawal!!! hehe

Hopefully I'll have something more interesting to say tomorrow... no promises!

World of Warcrack

me: Hello, my name is Scott...

World of Warcraft Addicts: *HELLO SCOTT*

me: It's been 18 hours since I last logged in to World of Warcraft

WWA: Why so long?

Every free minute, and even a few that I've had to pay for, has been spent on this damn game for the past month. I haven't been this enthralled with a virtual world in a long time. I knew it was going to happen, which is why I resisted it for so long. A friend of mine kept pestering me to check it out, but I knew it was a bad idea. For as long as I'd known him he had scoffed at people that chose to PAY to play something online; outright laughing at their "dumbness" because there were so many FREE things to do online: Counterstrike, Battlefield, etc...

Now he gladly forks over the $12.99 a month to feed his addiction. A few weeks ago, I know he was even considering purchasing ANOTHER account from someone, to get some high level character... Now that he's near level 60 (the current max), I think he's more than content with his one account (and 4+ characters...).

I (mostly) play after Shelley and Ryan go to bed... so it hasn't REALLY intruded or impeded my normal life... though the new fireplace doors have been sitting there for 2 days now... just WAITING for me to choose them over hunting down Horde... Maybe tomorrow...

The best laid plans...

I made the mistake of "demanding" a friend of mine post something on his website every day for the 7 days to make up for his forced exile from the Internet... and he pointed out that it had been two weeks since I had posted something... so he's challenged me to do the same. Talk about backfiring... So check here and there to keep us honest...

My mom and dad were visiting over the past weekend, and they just barely made it out of here before a storm closed I-70 yesterday. My mom said they drove the last 80 miles of their drive to Denver in "blinding snow". Now, I'm not one to say, "I told you so..." Oh wait, yes I am... When they first told me they were going to fly to Denver, then drive over, I didn't think much of it. But slowly, it dawned on me... driving from Denver to GJ, in the middle of November = not a great idea. Regardless of weather forecasts, storms come out of nowhere, and shut down the mountain passes for hours. There was a very real possibility of them being delayed either coming or going, and they were lucky enough to be on the other side of the hill when they closed the pass.

Looks like that same storm hit the midwest today. Some of these areas had just been hit by severe storms last week, and are still digging out. One of the many reasons I'm glad I don't live in that area anymore...



So Nana and Papa got to spend some quality time with Ryan, but I don't think I got any pictures of them together. I know my mom got a few, but I must have missed them. We visited the Dinosaur Museum in Fruita on Saturday, so I got a few good pictures of Ryan there, but only the poorly posed picture of everyone (but me) on the earthquake floor.



For those of you interested in the whole Jack Thompson thing, there's a great article over at one of my new favorite websites. The Wikipedia on him continues to grow, and it's full of truths, half-truths, lies, and hyperbole; but all good info nonetheless. My disdain for this guy also grows, and one of these days I'm going to just unleash on him over at my other website. I'll let you know if that happens...

Well, other than to tell you I've uploaded several new pictures, that's all I've got. Guess I need to save up some stuff for the next 6 days too... hehe

Love to all!

Happy (Belated) Halloween

As you can see (probably in a different browser window), I got the pictures uploaded from Halloween. Now if I could JUST find the time to finish the pictures from Paris...



Hope your Halloween was Happy!

I'm still here... and George Carlin on New Orleans

I started a lengthy post the other day, but I want to get all the facts before I sound like I'm just ranting. Jack "Ass" Thompson has been publically displaying his insanity, and I have quite a bit to say on that subject. Even thought the gist of it is "Jack Thompson is a Douchebag", I'd like to be a little more articulate about it.

In the meantime, one of my little brothers (hey, you're all littler than me, get over it...) sent me this, and you all know how much I love Carlin, and people that can put things in perspective.

Been sitting here with my ass in a wad, wanting to speak out about the bullshit going on in New Orleans. For the people of New Orleans...First I would like to say...Sorry for your loss. With that said, let's go through a few hurricane rules:
(Unlike an earthquake, we know it's coming)

#1. A mandatory evacuation means just that...Get the hell out. Don't blame the Government after they tell you to go. If they hadn't said anything, I can see the argument. They said get out... if you didn't--it's your fault--not theirs (I don't want to hear it, even if you don't have a car, you can get out).

#2. If there is an emergency...stock up on water and non-perishables. If you didn't do this...it's not the Government's fault you're starving.

#2a. If you run out of food and water, find a store that has some (Remember, shoes, TV's, DVD's and CD's are not edible. Leave them alone).

#2b. If the local store has been looted of food or water, leave your neighbor's TV and stereo alone.
(See #2a) They worked hard to get their stuff. Just because they were smart enough to leave during a mandatory evacuation, it doesn't give you the right to take their stuff...it's theirs, not yours.

#3. If someone comes in to help you...don't shoot at them and then complain no one is helping you. I'm not getting shot to help save some dumb ass who didn't leave when they told to do so.

#4. If you are in your house that is completely under water, your belongings are probably too far gone for anyone to want them. If someone does want them, let them have them and hopefully they'll die in the filth. Just leave! (It's New Orleans, find a voodoo warrior and put a curse on them)!

#5. My tax money should not pay to rebuild a two million dollar house, a sports stadium or a floating casino. Also, my tax money shouldn't go to rebuild a city that is under sea level. You wouldn't build your house on quicksand would you? You want to live below sea-level, do your country some good and join the Navy.

#6. Regardless of what the "Poverty Pimps" Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton want you to believe...The US Government didn't create the hurricane as a way to eradicate the black people of New Orleans;
(Neither did Russia as a way to destroy America. The US Government didn't cause global warming that caused the hurricane...We've been coming out of an ice age for over a million years).

#7. The government isn't responsible for giving you anything. This is the land of the free and the home of the brave, but you gotta work for what you want. McDonalds and Wal-Mart are always hiring, get a damn job and stop spooning off the people who are actually working for a living. President Kennedy said it best..."Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Thank you for allowing me to rant...George Carlin

I HATE Jack Thompson

It's been awhile since I posted anything of any relevance (but come ON... that red button thing was funny!), but in the past couple of days I've been watching Jack Thompson's continued descent into madness, and with much amusement...

Jack "Ass" Thompson (as I like to call him) has a goal. As a matter of fact, it's a very admirable and important goal: he wants to make sure that inappropriate (violence, sex, etc...) games stay out of the hands of children. Unfortunately, for Jack, he appears unable to see the REAL problem, and instead chooses to attack the industry and it's audience. My guess is because that's where the money is best for him ... but that's a different subject altogether.

Let me make this one point abundantly clear, then I'll continue with the story... The SOLE responsibility for keeping inappropriate material from the CHILDREN is the PARENTS. It's not YOUR job Jack, nor is it the GAMING INDUSTRY, RETAIL STORES, or even the GOVERNMENT's job. I can't believe that this has to be explained to anyone...

If you bothered to click on the Wikipedia link to Jackass's information, you'll see that he's been masquerading as champion of decency for many years. He was an amicus curiae (friend of the court) for the case against "2 Live Crew" which ruled their album "As Nasty As They Wanna Be" obscene, and resulted in the arrest of several of the band members, and several retail stores for selling the album. A couple years later this ruling was overturned by a Court of Appeals, and was upheld by the Supreme Court.

Since then, Jack has turned his attention on computer and console games, calling them "murder simulators". He's very good at using Lawyer-speak to twist (and omit) the facts to make his case.

Amuse yourself for a bit...

Go on.. no one is looking...

Box Office results are coming in...

... and Serenity did pretty good. Not as good as a lot of people were hoping, but some of their expectations were unrealistic. The fact of the matter is, Serenity had the 2nd highest draw this weekend, behind History of Violence, which has quite a star-studded cast.

The reviews are looking awesome too. Though there are a few negatives, if you look at the reviewers history, you'll probably find that you disagree with a lot of their reviews. I did, anyway...

One of the most amazing reviews I read was by none other than Orson Scott Card. Veteran geeks out there will recognize his name for the Ender's Game books, a series I enjoyed a long time ago, and have been meaning to pick up and continue with the new ones for a long time now. Now that I see he's a convert, I guess I'll have to get around to doing it...

My experience with the movie was as expected. It's an amazing story, told masterfully, and on the big screen it's just beautiful. I'm confident that once word of mouth gets around... there'll be continued interest, and the chance for Firefly to live on is better than ever before.

3 days left...

Only 3 days left, and the movie will be out.. and my wife will be so relieved... She's endured so many years of me going on and on (and on .. and on) about Firefly. Serenity is here, and as happy as I am to see, I'm sure she'll be happier to see it gone...

... until the DVD, of course.

Anyway, I was just removing the double post from a couple days ago, and was checking out the Serenity website to see what they're doing to celebrate the countdown, and they've completely revamped it. It's INCREDIBLE! And I don't mean from a "Firefly fan/geekboy" perspective, but from an appreciation of the website design! I love Flash sites that are done well, and this qualifies. Check it out (make sure you've got Flash installed).

I also found a nice poster for my background:



3 more days people... DEAL WITH IT! :P

Reports: Plot to attack Paris subway, airport

International Terrorism - MSNBC.com

ummm... yeah.

Here's a few more news links...

Do you have any concept of how pissed I would have been if I had made it through two years living in Kuwait and been attacked by terrorists in FRANCE?

Sheesh...

Shelley would say, "I'm geeking out"

Amidst all the other things I'm juggling this morning, I've been surfing my usual geek websites. I found a couple things that my fellow geeksters out there might find interesting.

First, has anyone been watching the new Battlestar Galactica? This has become my second favorite sci-fi series ... I don't need to tell you what the first is, do I? Anyway, for those of you that remember the original BSG, and have any doubts of the casting (ie, a female as Starbuck), I can assure you that your concerns are needless. I can't describe it in words better than this picture does:



Someone was using that for their signature on a message board, and I think it captures the essence perfectly. Don't get me wrong Dirk, you were my favorite character in the original, but the new Starbuck is filling your shoes just fine... Come on, Richard get on board... can't you?

My next discovery was a great interview on a website that I'd never visited. It was linked from some Firefly group email, and I visited it out of curiousity. I'm glad I did, because it's got some great info from most the cast and the creator. Check it out!

Ok, that's all for now!

Slowly getting there...

We're slowly getting our lives back to some thing resembling normalcy. I'm sorting and uploading the photos, but that's still going to take some time. So far about 100 photos uploaded, with about 30 actually being put up in the album. I'll continue to get them uploaded and sorted all week. There are over 800 photos to go through, and some are duplicates are just not as clear as they looked on the LCD of my camera. I'm also hoping to actually identify most of the things we're looking at in the picture, so you can get an idea of what we saw. A lot of things we just took pictures of because they looked important enough... and planned on looking up later.

Since we've been back I've been asked several times "How was Paris?"... and I just can't find the right words to describe it... I guess I'd have to say that my favorite part was spending some much needed "us" time with Shelley. With all the stuff going on in our lives, we don't get enough of that... Even if she spent most the time making goofy faces:

I love that picture!

So now I'm counting down the days until Serenity is released. I've already seen the movie, true... but now I want to see it in an actual "go to the movies" sense... I'm really more anxious to see how it does in the box office. Fingers crossed that it's a huge hit and the story can continue!

Love to all!

Juste pour vous, Kay

We're flying out in a couple of hours, but I just wanted to get this picture up before we left:



See the full size picture in the Paris 2005 album

Oooo la la part deux!

We're heading out for our last full day in Paris. We're headed to the Louvre this morning, then planning visiting some graves and catacombs in the afternoon. A nice dinner, then sleeping late in the morning.

Yesterday we got to Castle Versailles, then Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. The day before was spent at the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and Planet Hollywood... Several other things I'm sure I'm forgetting, but I'll chronicle everything later.

No time to upload pictures right now, but I'll do it later tonight (hopefully!)

Ooo la la

Just have enough time to throw up some quick photos... they're completely unedited, so I hope they're not the nudes...

Connection is unbearably slow on a shared connection, so that's all I've had time to upload so far... keep checking back!

Made it!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we made it to Paris early this morning. It's going on 6pm here right now, so we've had time to get something to eat and walk around a bit, and take a nap so we can have some energy for tonight. We can see the Eiffel Tower from our hotel, just not from our room. I'll get some pictures posted tonight!

Love to all!

Counting down...

Well, yet another countdown in my life. We're going to be flying out in the next 24 hours, and will be gone for about a week. I'm taking just enough tech toys to get my email and post the occasional picture to the blog. I'm sure we'll get a ton of pictures, so check back over the next couple of weeks!

Shelley's mom got into town last night, and is all set to spend a week with Ryan. We'll be giving her a crash course in Ryanese tonight, so she can at least understand what he's talking about half the time. His vocabulary gets bigger every day, and is just amazing to us. He's saying "love you" now, though it's a little muffled.

Nothing more to report really at this time. I apologize for my lack of posts and pictures lately. I just haven't had much going on, other than the mundane everyday things ... don't take that the wrong way though. I'm perfectly content with that! My life has been enough of a whirlwhind in the past couple of years. I'm really enjoying the downtime.

Love to all!

A Picture Share!

We have no chance...

Ok, so I get home a little late last night, and Shelley and Ryan have already eaten. I'm starting myself dinner, and Shelley asks, "are you guys going to get in the H-O-T T-U-B (spelling the word, to avoid getting R-Y-A-N excited for nothing...)...

... and immeditely Ryan comes into the kitchen saying, "MIMMING! MIMMING!"

We just looked at each other in amazement, and I said, "Ryan, you wanna go swimming?"

He turns around and starts heading for the door, "yeah, mimming"

We've got no chance at all... this kid is going to completely own us for the rest of our lives...

Here's something that's sure to be a shocker... this is my mom, in the summer of 1968. Let's do that math... I was born in September of 1969, so this would be roughly 3-5 months before I was conceived... 

As promised...

... got some of the pictures added to the Latest Photos ...





And the pictures of the air show together...

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It's been a while...

I know it's been a while since I've posted, but I either haven't had the time, or just haven't really had anything to say. Not that there hasn't been anything happening, I just haven't had the motivation to put anything here. Actually, that's not really accurate either. There's been more than a couple times that I've thought, "I need to blog about ______________", or "That'll be a great picture to put up..."; then when I have the time to do it, I don't really have the energy. As I type this I'm uploading over 700 pictures... that's 1.7G (!) of pictures. Granted, most of them are of Ryan and Shelley, and about 200 of them are of the air show that was in town this past weekend... But getting them uploaded will take about 2 hours, then I have to go through them and put them in photo albums before anyone can see them... another lengthy and tedious process... See the hardships I endure for you people... can you IMAGINE how hard it is to look through several hundred pictures like this:

So my life has begun to equalize... find a tempo ... resume normalcy ... etc... I'm playing golf regularly now (it's nearly a requirement here), and have even taken a lesson from an instructor at the city golf course. I bought a set of clubs when my parents were visiting in July, and have actually played every week, or at least been on the driving range. My parents are going to be in for a bit of a surprise next time they're here.

Well, I've got more to say, but it's past 2am and I'm still at work (been typing this during server reboots). The pictures are done uploading, so I'll get them organized tomorrow and put into albums. Until then, here's another picture to tide you over. Bear in mind this was taken from the roof of our house...

hiya kid.... get it? KID? IT'S A GOAT!... 

hmmm.. I wonder if anyone is watching...  

More pics... I guess only one at a time...
Posted by Scott via Hello

Some recent photos...
Posted by Scott via Hello

This is just a test...

So I'm going to try posting some video here. This may or may not autoplay for you... if not you should be able to right-click and choose play. Let me know if you're having any problems. If you're on a slow connection, it might take a few seconds to download. The files is about 160k, so it shouldn't be TOO painful.

In response to your message...

YourSmartRewards Support
to me
12:36 pm (5 hours ago)
Dear Valued Customer:



Thank you for your participation in our promotions.



Due to circumstances beyond our control, we were unable to fulfill your
gift through our regular sources. We are sending you a check for the
value of the gift you registered for. Please use the check to purchase
the product you are due.



Sincerely yours,



Customer Service Department

yeah... so I finally got around to sending them the "redemption coupon" last week; three weeks after fulfilling all the requirements for my "FREE PSP!" I just got this in my email... let's see how long it takes for me to actually get a check out of them...

New Pictures!

... and a new way to view them! I'm playing around with this, so let me know if you're having problems seeing it. You can always go to the Latest Photos album directly

Wow...

Looks like I took a photo of Ryan, and then edited it to make the picture look old, doesn't it?

It's not Ryan... it's my Uncle Lance. He passed away a few years ago, before Ryan was born.

I've always been told that I look a lot like him, and everyone has been saying the same thing about Ryan. Now there's photographic evidence.

Amazing, huh?

Russian Astrologer Sues NASA Over Comet Mission

Astrologer Sues NASA Over Comet Mission - Yahoo! News

Isn't it amazing that we have the technology to actually hit a comet with an 800 lb probe moving at 23,000mph... and yet stupid people like this are still allowed to wander around freely? Not just wander, but sue for $300 million dollars for "moral sufferings". I have no doubt that she is suffering morally, but it's got absolutely nothing to do with anything extraterrestrial.

Fair and Open Competition

Fair and Open Competition Home

If you're not a total geek, don't bother clicking on that link. Basically, AMD is suing Intel for their business practices. AMD (in my opinion) makes the better processor, and Intel has been steadily losing market share to them for years now. The link is an open letter from the President and CEO of AMD, outlining why they chose to file their complaint.

Mom and George left yesterday, with a minimum of tears. I've got a ton of great pictures to upload, hopefully before the weekend. I'm working on a painless way to put up some video too. You've really got to see and hear Ryan do his "TA DAA" to fully appreciate it.

A Picture Share!

Mashed potatoes are more fun to wear than eat...

The Strangerhood News

The Strangerhood News

A couple years ago after Halo came out for the Xbox ... which by the way was a good thing for Microsoft. but PC users completely got shafted on the deal, because it was originally slated for PC. By the time they got around to releasing it for PC, it completely sucked...

umm where was I?

Oh yeah... so after Halo came out, a group of guys made a series of short movies called Red vs. Blue, and it became an instant hit. Their company is called Rooster Teeth Productions, and you can see all the episodes here.

Why am I telling you this? Well, firstly, because they're funny as hell. True, you have to be a gamer to fully appreciate the series, but even if you just enjoy skit comedy, you will enjoy them.

But second, I wanted to clue you in on another series they've started called The Strangerhood. They're using The Sims 2, and it looks just as funny. If you're killing time, this is as good a place as any!

My mom and dad have been here since Sunday, and seem to be enjoying their visit. Of course, as we've already established... they're not here to visit Shelley or myself... we just don't matter anymore. They're here to see their grandson... hehe

We've got some pictures and videos, and I'll get them up as soon as I can. I can't get the video camera to connect to my computer... I might have to call a tech support guy... know anyone?

We went to Battlement Mesa yesterday to play golf, and managed to get 17 holes done before a storm chased us off the course. I shot a 68 ... and did a little better on the back 9... err, the back 8, I guess. As the day progressed, I steadily improved while the parents did the opposite. Well, at least as a team we were consistent.

Ok, got to run. I'm just taking a lunch break and wanted to post something marginally interesting.

... I said MARGINALLY...

Love to all!

A Picture Share!

... This just does not need a caption...

Sick and wrong...

... and one of the funniest things I have ever read. There's a link under "Blogs I Read" to a website called The Sneeze, and it bills itself as "Half zine. Half Blog. Half not good with fractions.". The writer's name is Steve, and there are currently 8 volumes (posts) entitled "Steve, Don't Eat It!". I found that blog one day (again... don't ask me how I came across it... I just did, ok?), and found it funny enough to link to, but never got around to reading the older posts. If you've got some time, and need a good laugh, check it out.

Other than that, not much more to report. Looks like we'll be going to France sometime in September, and my parents (aka "Nana and Papa"... I can't believe I just typed that) are visiting in the next couple of weeks. I'm sure we'll have a ton of photos for both events, so if you don't already have broadband... I suggest you get it now... hehe

Love to all!

A Picture Share!

My orientation class partner...

Shelley posing with some of the crew at Mix 104.3 after winning the trip to Paris!
Posted by Scott via Hello

I don't remember if I've shared this one or not... it was taken the same day we took Shelley to the Botanical Gardens for Mother's Day
Posted by Scott via Hello

People are Weird...

...and here's the proof.. You have to give this guy credit for having the courage to do this... but you also have to wonder if he's serious or just looking for attention. Either way, Rock On, Daily Dancer!

Ok, time to get you caught up on a couple other things. First, looks like I've found a job. I accepted a position with Hilltop as a PC support/technician, but it looks like there will be a lot more to do than just fix computers. They have a lot of ambitious projects, and I'm looking forward to jumping into the fray with them. Their advertised salary wasn't very appealing, but they offered me a bit more; and the benefits are more than worth it.

I had a couple of other prospects/ideas/dreams that I was considering, but the stability of a successful company has a lot of appeal. Shelley used to work for Hilltop, so she knows the company and says they're good people. She left simply because the county offered more money to do the same job she was doing.

I also had a second interview with Mesa State College, but declined it in favor of the Hilltop position. I have no idea why they called me back for another interview considering that I'm fairly certain I did so horrible on the written exam. I had to go back and check the job description after I took the test... there were about 25 questions, of which I answered about 5 with confidence. The rest of my answers were either WAGs (Wild Ass Guesses) or plain admissions of truth ("I have no idea as to what this question is referring"). There were 9 other people in the room, 4 of which left before I did, so I figured they were either REALLY good... or had even less of an idea than I did... The fact that I was called for a second interview makes me think it's most likely the latter. Or maybe they were just calling everyone back...

Ok, next thing I have to report is that I went and saw Star Wars Ep 3 ... and I can sum it up in one shrug of the shoulders and a simple grunt.

"eh"

It does a fairly good job of closing the gap, I will say that. And needless to say, the effects were simply amazing. Industrial Light & Magic (for those non-geeks that aren't aware of this) is a digital effects company that George Lucas created for the original Star Wars in 1977, and it's been a powerhouse in the movie industry ever since. The list of movies they've done is an endless parade of eye-candy that you nearly go into a sugar coma just looking at it... (by the way, both those links are worth spending some time on... very interesting reading).

Back to my "review" of SW:RoTS. As I said... it just didn't live up to the hype, though I'm not overly surprised. There's simply no way, in my opinion, that it possibly could. I have always said that the problem with the last two (err.. the FIRST two if you're going in order, LAST two if going by release dates) is that by the time Lucas was ready to start working on "The Phantom Menace", the Star Wars franchise had become such an overwhelming behemoth, that it was bound to collapse under it's own weight. Lucas had so many people's opinions that he had to sift through that the result was horrible additions to the SW Universe like JarJar Binks. Some Marketing Moron/Corporate Weasel convinced him that there had to be some cute-talking comedic relief sidekick or the movie would not appeal to a new generation of viewers. We'll never know if that's true, but George Lucas has been quoted as saying that Binks (I refuse to type that first name twice in the same day) has received more hatemail than any other fictional character to date, EVER. Not just in the SW Universe... but spanning all forms of entertainment (TV, Movies, books... etc).

Oops... sidetracked again... hmmm, maybe I do have AADD or ADHD as my wife suspects... At least that's what I think she said, I wasn't really paying attention...

The reasons I wasn't overly thrilled far outweigh the parts I liked.

Watching Obi-Wan kick Anakin's ass (and making Darth Vader's outfit/life support necessary) was perfectly played. You could see the pain on his face. But that was about the only well-acted part. The rest of the acting in the movie was just so ... contrived? stilted? forced?

And there was no shortage of throw-away lines. I've always hated the thought that the robot soldiers had to have "witty" personalities. Notice I quoted the word... they're not at all witty, they're just stupid. R2D2 and C3PO banter I could stomach. A robot sarcastically saying "you're welcome" when he delivers an item to an ungrateful General Grievous (another robot with a biological heart?) is just plain silly. Not cute. Not witty. Not clever. Silly... not good silly either. Just stupid silly.

I still plan on watching all 6 in sequence with Shelley. I mean she wants to spend GEEK TIME with me, so of course I'll take her up that! And when I do, I'm curious if they've used the line "I've got a bad feeling about this" in all the movies. It was used in this latest one, and was as pointless as "Yippie ki yay, motherfucker" was in the second Die Hard film. It was relevent in the first one, completely unnecessary in the second. (I don't know offhand... he didn't use it in the third one... did he?)

//disengage ADD mode// :P

So there you have it... my "rambling review". I didn't HATE the movie, I just wasn't thrilled with it. I know that Serenity won't get anywhere near the same attention, but I'll bet there's a lot bigger percentage of people that will be happy with it than this latest installment of Star Wars.

Speaking of Firefly... [pause for your eyes to stop rolling...], there doing another advanced screening. This is the third one, in 35 cities, and they sold out faster than the previous two. I think the message is clear: the fan base is out there... now let's get the movie in the can and start working on the "unexposed" out there... start showing your DVDs to the shattered Star Wars fans ... maybe we can convert them into Browncoats. How shiny would that be?

Love to all!

A Picture Share!

Spa-messy is my favorite

A Picture Share!

Lots of things to talk about...

I've had a bunch of things to post about, just haven't really made the effort lately. I'll start off with the latest and greatest new:

Shelley won a trip for two to Paris!

She's been talking about this for weeks... and I maintained my usual "realistic" (negative) attitude. The same attitude I was using for the recent Powerball craze... which Shelley and her co-workers dumped about $300 (or more) on...

So I'm over at Matt's house watching UFC on PPV, and I get a phone call from Shelley's phone, and it's Darcy yelling that "Shelley won the trip to Paris"... and I was immediately skeptical. "Yeah, sure she did..." Shelley gets on the phone all out of breath and convinced me that she wasn't lying, and that she had to go because they were taking pictures and doing interviews and stuff. Now she has to go to the radio station on Monday for another interview.

So how cool is that?

Another thing I have to report is a warning to all you unsuspecting Internet newbies. This is a true statement in general, but it's even doubly true on the 'net. "If the offer sounds too good, it probably is...".

One day, around May 10th or so, I saw a banner add for a FREE PLAYSTION PORTABLE! I've been resisting buying one of these for a while, because I just couldn't justify the cost. It truly was nothing more than a toy, and all the little gadgets I already have do the tasks that I was trying to convince myself (mostly) that I could use it for: previewing digital images, portable storage... etc. Even I wasn't convinced; how could I convince Shelley?

So I saw this banner advertisement, and figured I'd just check it out. It works like this: You are shown three pages of several different offers. You must choose 2 offers from each page. When you complete the requirements for each of the offers (buy something, sign up for something, etc), you'll be given the green light and will fill out a "form" to have the gift sent to you. However, at the bottom of the form it states:

(company name) reserves the right to: a) substitute any gift item with another of similar functionality
(including a working model that has been used/refurbished) b) substitute any gift item with another of
similar value c) send a member the cash equivalent of the gift item.

I did the math, and with everything I signed up for, the immediate cost is close to $200, and the cost for all the monthly charges that I will incur if I continue to use all the services I signed up for will be over $750. A new PSP costs about $250, and these jerkoffs are already telling me that they "reserve the right" to give me something else if they deem it plausible.

None of the offers that I accepted are things that I wouldn't have bought anyway (Vonage, Netflix), so it's not so much the overall cost that's bugging me. It's the fact that it's already been a month before I "met the requirements", even though 5 of the 6 offers have been reported as completed since the day AFTER I started all this. Only one of them took over three weeks to be "reported"... I'm also extremely bugged by the fact that I may not even get what I was aiming for...

Lesson learned here? Nothing is free...

Well, I had a few more things to report, but I can't think of them right now (too tired), and they probably weren't that interesting anyway... I'll try posting again in a couple days if I remember...

Love to all,

More pictures... and Star Wars Stupidity

I uploaded a few more pictures in the Latest Photos album, including Ryan's first time on a trampoline.



There's also pictures of him meeting the new spotted horse. The plan was to let Ryan name it, but he just kept calling her "kitty".

And a few minutes ago I was channel surfing and watched three self-important idiots debating the whole political agenda of the Star Wars movies. "Clearly Anakin Skywalker following the path of the dark side is George W. Bush", and "The United States is becoming the Evil Empire".

Do you people really have nothing better to do with your lives?

Got pix?

I really couldn't tell you why my last few posts have been titled as questions. Maybe I'm just feeling inquisitive? Maybe I'm being ironic? Maybe my creative well has run dry? That's the best possibility, because it was pretty shallow to start with.

Deal with it.

I finally got some pictures uploaded, and thought I would provide you with some easy links. I've got 200 pictures uploaded so far, and I'm only about halfway done. The majority (not surprisingly) of those are pictures of Ryan and Shelley. The Latest Photos album has a variety of pictures I've taken since I've been home, and the Geoffrey Ryan Grattan album has grown by about 70 pictures as of this post. I'll be adding more as I finish getting the rest uploaded. Here's a direct link to the page with the newest pictures in his album.

Other than that, nothing much to report really. I think my vacation was officially over yesterday, since I spent all of yesterday working on projects around the house, took a test for a job today, and scheduled an interview for next week as well. I'll give better details when I have them, but for now they're just "feelers".

Looks like The Donald (I hate that moniker, by the way. I'm just going to refer to him as TD or DT from now on... I haven't decided which yet), is getting the support he expected. Though a few people say his idea isn't original (... and?), even his detractors are supporting his plan. One quote I saw was "he's an egotistical bastard, and he's 100% correct". Personally, I'm glad he's in the fight. I don't care if he triples his net worth by supporting this thing, the plain truth is that it's much more likely to happen with him involved. That ridiculous "memorial park" plan was an embarassing and belittling answer to the September 11, 2001 attack. I only hope they don't refer to it as "ground zero" after construction starts . Click on the link and you'll see the actual definition, though they reference the WTC there too.

Gotta run, love to all!

What?

I blame Gritty for this:

What Your Dreams Mean...

Your dreams seem to show that you're a bit disturbed... but nothing serious. You may have a problem you're trying to work out in your sleep. Overall, you are very content in your life. You have a very vivid imagination and a rich creative mind. You secretly want to hide your dreams from your waking mind.

What Do Your Dreams Mean?

Anyone else find it vaguely disturbing that it would declare me "overall content" in my life, yet show a picture of someone with a ... worm (?) coming out of their mouth. That is not what I pictured "contentment" looking like.

On a completely unrelated note, I just have to mention something else. Donald Trump is my new hero. I know you people rarely follow the links I give you, so I'll summarize his latest declaration:

"Screw terrorists"

Like I said, that's MY summary. Here's a real one:

Donald Trump is unveiling his own design for a rebuilt 111-story "World Trade Center" at Ground Zero. Trump - who has been outspoken about the current plans for the "Freedom Tower" - told the New York Post he has "a beautiful model, a very big model." "We took the original World Trade Center design ... made it more beautiful than ever before," Trump said. The Trump plan also includes making the tower one story taller and stronger. Source

That's right. Not only does he want to rebuild on the same spot, he wants to build it BIGGER.

I never thought much of "The Donald" before The Apprentice came on TV. And at that point, I only thought less of him. Now the needle has gone the other way... a LONG way. He "anticipates a tremendous outpouring of public support for his new design.". You've got my vote, Mr. Trump. Check out the complete plans.

Ok, I know I still haven't uploaded the pictures, but I really am closer. I finally got my office into a more useable condition, and my main computer back online. I have EVERY INTENTION of getting some pictures uploaded before this weekend. Of course, I had "every intention" of being an accomplished endurance racer, having a winter home in Australia, and being widely known for my culinary prowess by the time I reached my current age... so bear that in mind when you come back on Saturday looking for pictures.

Where to begin?

I've got so many things I want to do, I hardly know where to begin. And when the thing you want to do the most is "Absolutely Nothing" ... how do you start?

Yesterday was Mothers Day, and Ryan and I took Shelley to the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens & Butterfly House and then to lunch at her favorite place... no surprise there, I'm sure.

I got a lot of pictures of both of them, and I'll be putting them up in the next couple of days.

Also, I just have to share with you how very cool my wife is; I know I've always said she was, but I never knew she could be THIS cool. I've been trying very hard not to rant too much about the Serenity screening I went to last week, because I know she's been more tolerant than I deserve about the whole thing. I will be posting my take on the movie soon enough, but wanted to share the things that are more important to me since I've gotten home, and just haven't had the time to do it yet.

I asked Shelley if she had any desire to see the new Star Wars movie that's coming out next week, and she said (and this is what I think is so cool about her) that she'd rather watch them all together. Like back-to-back. So she wants to watch the "first" two on DVD, go see the third one... then come home and watch the next three on DVD. That's like 10 hours of Star Wars that she wants to watch... how many guys are lucky enough to have a wife that's WILLING, let alone WANTS to watch that much Star Wars?

Hmmm... maybe if I made her watch Firefly like that she'd be a little more excited about it... I know, I know... that's my own fault. She's sick of hearing about it...

So that's all I wanted to say for now. I'm trying to get back into a "normal" routine, and my wife is amazingly cool. I'll get some new pics up soon... and Happy Belated Mothers Day to all that qualify!

Love to all!

I'm a big fat liar...

Ok, I'm a complete and total liar... Some of you already knew this, but I came home 5 days early to surprise Shelley. And boy was she surprised. I was waiting in the hotel room when she got there, and she nearly had heart failure. Which was pretty much the plan: mission successful!

So I'm typing this at home (we came home a day early... I'll give the details later), on my favorite big old clunky keyboard (IBM PS/2 RoX!)... and I shouldn't need to tell you how relieved I am to be home. The look on Shelley's face; seeing Ryan look at me with his big blue (uncertain and tired eyes... like he knows he SHOULD know who I am, but is too tired to put it together), getting a smile out of him, looking forward to seeing him in the morning... yeah, all that. And lots more; I'm glad to be home.

Gone too soon...

I just received the news a couple hours ago that a family very close to my heart lost another member last night. I spent a LOT of time with the Reimans growing up, and I'm ashamed to say that I have very much lost touch with them over the years. They have had some incredibly hard knocks, much more than anyone deserves; and I am constantly in awe of their strength. Sue was like another mother to me, and with so many other kids she had to deal with (in addition to being mother to Melissa, Mesha, Melanie, Mynde, Matthew, and Micah, she was also a teacher for the majority of the time I spent with them, and had to deal with all of the kids' friends...), I didn't deserve half the attention and love she gave me.

I can remember feeling like a big brother to these kids; proud of their successes, protective when they needed, irritated by their constant bothering and bickering, hurt by their losses. Melanie was lost in an accident when I was in high school, and that was my first experience with loss of a loved one. Nothing seemed real for the longest time. Now Matthew has succumbed to cancer, and nothing feels real again. I should be finishing up my packing. I should be working. I should be doing anything but sitting here typing this. But I feel if I don't get this out I'm going to be stuck in this surreal state for longer than I can afford. I have too many things to do (more than usual), and too little time to get them done (less than normal).

I guess there's a lesson here. Actually, I know there is... Cherish the time you have. Especially the time you get with the ones you love. Don't take it for granted. I've spent entirely too much time away from the ones I love, and have let entirely too many friends slip away from me. I'll never get that time back.

Goodbye Matt.

... NOW I'm homesick...

It's always nice to see news from home:

BU-GAWK! Uegene Safken says he let his chickens out of their coop outsideof Collbran, Colo., and went into his house for a cup of coffee. Whenhe came back, he found one of his birds drowned in a tub of water inthe yard. He fished the young chicken out of the water and thought,"what the heck, I'll give it a shot," and gave it mouth-to-beakresuscitation. His girlfriend told him to give it up. "Leave thechicken alone; it's dead," Denise Safford says she told him. But, hesaid, "I wouldn't let that damn thing die." It worked: the chicken, hesays, came back to life and is now fine. It wasn't so bad, he says."I've kissed worse." (Grand Junction Sentinel) ...Let's just hope he doesn't mean Denise.

>You can't stop the signal?

The trailer is out, and it is simply jaw-dropping gorgeous. You may be sick and tired of hearing me talk about this (I know Shelley is), but I DEFY any of you to watch the trailer and not be impressed. Those of you that are NOT sci-fi fans are NOT allowed to participate. Ahhh, go ahead; I'll just defy you too! hehe

And THEN, after watching (and showing it to others) NUMEROUS times... I get THIS:

From: browncoatadmin@serenitymovie.com
Date: 27 Apr 2005 06:11:05 -0000
Subject: Another Message From Joss

Well.

It gets better.

As thus: The movie is very nearly finished. You've seen many pretty images in the trailer. But I've still got work to do and you've still got months before you can see it.

Unless.

And, no, I'm not talking Australia (but Hi, Australia! anyway), I'm talking here in the more-or-less-United States, a one time multi-city Browncoat sneak event. Thursday, May 5th at 10:00 pm, the movie (Serenity! Pay attention! Jeez.) will be playing at exactly 10 theaters in 10 cities across the country. You (or possibly someone much like you) (or possibly a robot EXACTLY like you, but with better manners and sonic arm-lasers, sent to take your place) will be able to buy a ticket to see Serenity months in advance. Not just the bitty trailer with not enough Kaylee and Book, but the whole film, in its extremely almost completed state.

You probably have some questions. How is this possible? What cities exactly will it be in? What are these changes my body is going through? All valid. It's possible because some clown put a bunch of Universal execs in a theater full of Browncoats and dude, they came out SWEATING, they never seen energy like that. They loved it, and even though they were already wicked supportive of the movie (see: earlier posts re: we're making the movie) they simply weren't ready for you guys. When I whinged on about pushing the date and everyone here was posting about "what do we do till September", they agreed to let me sneak it out.

Maybe they thought it was a fluke. Maybe they wanna see if people really do care about the flick. Or maybe they're just treating us with respect and kindness, though that last option confuses and terrifies me as much as these changes my body is going through (I'm "perspiring" and becoming "interested in girls", which believe me is very unsettling when you're 40.) Does it matter? The plan works for me, and it can work for a select bunch of y'all. Here's what I know:

The cities to be hit are:

Seattle
Austin
Sacramento
Boston
Altanta
Chicago
San Francisco
Las Vegas
Denver
The Portland of Oregon

If you're in or near one of those, you might wanna stop by. There's supposed to be a "Can't Stop the Signal" page on this website (I don't know where it is -- hey, I remembered my damn password, doesn't that buy me any cred?) There should be more info there soon about how to get in, bringing peeps into the fold, I think there's even competetions and stuff. (All I know is I have exactly 20 Brownie points. I answered ONE triv Q and got it wrong. Forget cred. I have no cred.) Now a couple of us might just creep into one of those major metropolitan multiplexes to see if anyone does show up, so remember: swearing in Chinese ONLY.

All right. This will please the fans and satisfy the employers of Joss Whedon, so I must stop as my arm-lasers are getting tired. I politely thank you for your attention.

Should be fun.

-j.

DAMNIT!!! I'm going to be missing it by about 48 HOURS!!! It's actually going to be in Denver and I'll miss it by 2 frickin' days!!!

By the way, (and before Shelley points it out) I'm also missing our wedding anniversary by just over 72 hours... But just THINK how perfect it would have been! I could have taken her to the advanced screening of the movie for our anniversary!!! What... you don't think she would have enjoyed that? Now that's just CRAZY talk! :P

Anyway, you can click on the banner below to go to the movie website. The direct links to download the trailer (instead of watching it streaming on the website, which I don't recommend) is:

Small - 4.83 MB (good)

Medium - 8.5 MB (better)

Large - 21 MB (best)

Full screen - 41MB (bestest)



Joss, I can't pledge my firstborn son (sorry... too attached) nor my eternal love (wife got that already), but you do have my undying gratitude... thanks for not giving up and pursuing easier ... umm .. pursuits.

Remember the whole "Google rocks" thing?

Well... here's further proof:

http://www.google.com/maps

Type in your address, check and see how close you can get a satellite view.

I went to the ZOO!

With just under two weeks to go, I finally managed to stop at the zoo. Didn't take very long to see all there was to see, and it was pretty much what I expected. A bunch of animals in cages, looking miserable. Click on the random photos below to go to the album.

<Powered by Pixagogo

Speaking of Firefly...

Joss Whedon (the creator of Firefly) posted this on the official website yesterday:

Hey guys.

I'm here on the official site, so that can only mean one thing: somebody finally told me my password! (Again.) It probably also means that I have some big-ass announcement or other. Well tops on the announcement list is this: after months of intensive yoga, i can finally touch my toes! (They feel round and bunion-y.)

But there's more! I'm talkin' movie news, peeps, so no more drumroll: Trailer. Serenity. Tuesday.

Yeah, kids, the haps is hap'nin', and it runs thus: EXCLUSIVELY on Apple movie trailers (and linked through this site as well of course) will be a small, medium, large or FULLSCREEN trailer for Serenity the major motion movie. Yeah, THE trailer. And the following Friday said trailer hits theaters. Which theaters? Until I get confirmation you'll have to guess, but I'm betting you can.

Now, here's a word of warning: this trailer ain't shy. If you're looking to live totally spoiler-free, know that there's plenty of key dialogue and images running through this bad boy. It's pretty tasty, though, and it doesn't give everything away. But close scrutiny will definitely learn you much of what's to come. (Anakin TOTALLY goes evil.) It's a nice piece to while away the time till September, and hopefully should intrigue th' peeps that don't have coats of brown.

The only thing more exciting than y'all finally seeing this was showing it to Nathan. Like a schoolboy giggled he.

Bye-ee!

Joss "You can't take my toes from me" Whedon.

So if you're interested in that kind of thing... there ya go.

Update on Toby...

I came into work today and Carl was looking at the Save Toby website. It seems there's been some recent activity, and I was curious enough to take another look. A couple days ago the site was down for 48 hours due to a hacker, but the it's been moved to a more secure server now. Also, PayPal has stopped accepting donations for them, and the site owner has been fighting them on it. Though he says there are "tons of companies" willing to do business with him, it's been nearly 6 weeks since he announced it.

Anyway, check out the latest updates on the website, especially the hate mail. There's some funny stuff there!

I've just got to reiterate the fact that Google completely rocks. I'm not talking about the search engine - I mean the company in general. They continue to impress me with all their products. Picasa and Hello are an amazingly powerful combination of tools for editing, organizing and sharing pictures. Gmail continues to increase the size of my mailbox (last count was 2.118 Gb, and still growing). The Google Toolbar is an absolute MUST have for internet browsing. It blocks pop-ups, shows page ranks, autofills forms, and has a direct link to Google News. Speaking of Google News, it's now customizeable, so you can make the news page report whatever you'd like. Mine currently reports news about the world, Kuwait, Grand Junction, and computer games. Are you surprised?

Remember that TV show I was so obsessed with? Well, the obsession is still going strong, and I freely admit that I still watch at least one episode a week. Seriously. Well... it's still a few months until the movie comes out, but the fan sites are getting busier every day.

I just picked up an interesting book. The link is to Amazon, and there are some great user reviews there. Here's the description:

Book Description In this eclectic anthology of essays, former cast member Jewel Staite, "Kaylee," philosopher Lyle Zynda, sex therapist Joy Davidson, and noted science fiction and fantasy authors Mercedes Lackey, David Gerrold, and Lawrence Watt-Evans contribute to a clever and insightful analysis of the short-lived cult hit Firefly. From What went wrong with the pilot? to What's right about Reavers? and how the correspondence between the show's creator Joss Whedon and the network executives might have actually played out, the writers interrogate the show's complexity and speculate about what might have been if the show Firefly had not been cancelled. About the Author Jane Espenson is a veteran Mutant Enemy script writer who was responsible for the Firefly episode "Shindig." She has also written for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Deep Space Nine, Ellen, Gilmore Girls, and Star Trek. She lives in Los Angeles. Glenn Yeffeth is the editor of Seven Seasons of Buffy and Taking the Red Pill. He lives in Dallas, Texas.

I also found out they're publishing a series of "graphic novels" (which is just a fancy word for comic book) that will tell the story of the time between the last episode and the upcoming movie. Needless to say, I've pre-ordered my copies. I'll post the link if anyone is interested.

I'm finishing up my packing. It's amazing how much stuff I've accumulated here. I'm leaving a lot of things here too, much to the dismay of my roomates... except for the beer kits... they're glad I'm leaving those of course...

That's all I've got to report! In the home stretch now, and getting anxious to get home. I had a dream the other day that I woke up and was in my own bed, in my own house, with my wife and baby boy. It was a great feeling, and one I'm REALLY looking forward to the experience again. Of course, when I woke up and realized I was still in Kuwait, I was bummed out for the entire day.

Cindy asked about my plans for my "civilian life". She also hinted about ropes and handcuffs... maybe she knows something about Shelley that I don't... But I honestly don't have any plans at this point. Needless to say, Shelley is fairly anxious about that as well, and has been diligently sending me info on job openings... I've got a couple of ideas, but that's about it right now. However, it does look like the job market in GJ has improved a bit in my absense.

Love to all!

Multimedia goodness...

Wow... at first glance, this might not seem like big news to you. Macromedia is being acquired by Adobe for a mere 3.4 billion dollars. Unless you're in the news or publication industry, you might just shrug and go on about your lives...

Well, this is big news people. Macromedia is the maker of Dreamweaver and one of the leading advocates of Flash, a streaming media that allows for some amazing graphical websites. Adobe is the creator of the PDF file, which is fast becoming the Internet standard for documents traffic. When you add these two together, the possibilities for a much more richer online experience is endless... And I promise you that Microsoft is worrying more than just a little bit...

Oh.. and the countdown continues... hehe

Save Toby?

I was recently wandering aimlessly on the 'net when I found this. As usual, I have no explanation on how I got there...

It seems an enterprising Internet entrepeneur (ouch) has found yet another way to make money ...and if the current posted figures are to be believed, it's a fair chunk of change: over $24,000. This person has posted pictures of a "cute bunny" and says he rescued it from underneath his porch and nursed him back to health. Now, he says unless he receives $50,000 by June 30th, 2005 he will cook and eat the rabbit. The website is complete with a whole gallery of pictures, recipes, and even Save Toby merchandise.

http://www.savetoby.com

Personally, I'd like to start a website called http://www.eattoby.com ... I'll bet I'd make more money.

Not sure about the math...

This is either REALLY funny or really scary... I haven't figured out which it is yet, but ...

I am worth $2,190,064.00 on HumanForSale.com

I wonder if I would have been worth much more if I had done the "Facethejury.com" thing... but that seemed like a matchmaking service or something, and I get enough crap in my mailbox as it is...

So, how much are YOU worth?

Remember all those times ...

... your mother would show pictures of you when you were younger... usually to a new girlfriend that you had been working SOOOO hard to impress.

It's payback time...

Ok, I know... that's a mean thing to do to my own mother. Fine... here, I'll do it to myself.


I look much dorkier than she does...

I found these pictures on my class website. Thanks Brian for doing such a great job maintaining our memories, no matter how much we'd rather forget them!

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.
Here are this year's winners:

1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money
to start with.

2. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

3. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating.
The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

4. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

5. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house which renders the subject financially impotent for
an indefinite period.

6. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

7. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

8. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

9. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.

10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

11. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And
then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are
good for you.

13. Glibido: All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

15. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked
through a spider web.

The countdown is on...

As you can see, the countdown has begun. In just a few weeks I'll be on my way home, and not a moment too soon. I'm so unbelievably sick of Kuwait, it's ... well, it's unbelievable. Seriously.

I also have added a new counter, and it has a lot of interesting features with it. It gives me a very detailed account of everyone that visits this site, and how they found it. Those of you who are friends and family, it's not that hard to figure out how you "found" it: I probably told you. But if you are using a search engine, it knows which one you used. And even more interestingly, the keywords that were used. So far, it's only been running for a couple of days, so there's not much data, but I just noticed something.

Someone in Monroe, Louisiana uses Centurytel Internet Holdings for his ISP. This someone typed in "Scott Grattan" and "Kuwait" into Google, and found, not surprisingly, this website. In addition to their IP address (which is only useful to a hacker if you're not behind a firewall... you ARE using a firewall, aren't you?), it also reports their operating system (WinXP), browser (Internet Explorer 6.0), and the resolution their monitor is using (1024x768).

I don't know anyone in Louisiana (that I'm aware of), but apparently they know me... so whoever you are: Hi!

There's also someone visiting from Carbondale, Illinois that has been on the website for 3 days. They have been reading the archives, but very slowly (apparently).

Also, Tracy, I saw that you visited on April 9th, and I really think you need to talk to your network administrator. I know for a FACT that it was you, because your computer name is TracyStoddart.mcpherson.edu, which definitely means you're not behind any kind of firewall or NAT (network address translator). Any website that you visit can easily find their way back to your computer. Got any problems with spyware or adware? I'll bet you do...

I found something else very interesting the other day. Have you ever typed your name into Google, to see if you're on the Internet? Well, the other day I did a search for "grattan" in Google Images. In addition to numerous pictures of Grattan Raceway, Grattan family crests, and even a kid whose last name is Gratton and they spelled his last name wrong on the image "grattan.jpg"... I know how you feel kid.

Anyway, the interesting thing is that I found a picture of Ryan. It's the picture taken the day we brought him home, and it's the first one in the album. So, for those of you who are keeping score, he's barely a year old, and he's already doing things on the 'net better than I am. There were no pictures of ME in the Google Image search... just him.



I'm so proud!

Love to all!

The Boys of Kuwait...

It occurred to me that I don't think I've ever posted pictures of my coworkers... so there you go! (L to R: Carl, Nathan, me, Mike)

It's a real burden...

... being right all the time. I told you this would happen. Not surprisingly, this was NOT front page news...

Kuwait drops plot case against soldiers
KUWAIT CITY (AFP): Kuwait's public prosecution has dropped the case of two soldiers who were arrested earlier this year on suspicion of plotting attacks on US forces, the defense minister and a lawyer said Tuesday. "The case has been shelved and investigations have been permanently halted because there is no crime," the defense lawyer for one of the two soldiers, Mohammed Al-Mutairi, told AFP. Defense Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah confirmed that the charges had been dropped. "Yes, certainly," the minister told reporters in response to a question if the case was "shelved" by the prosecution. The army's judicial department, however, "is still assessing the case" to take the necessary legal measures, said the minister, without elaborating.

The pair, one of them a major, were among 15 soldiers questioned on charges that they were plotting to attack US and other foreign troops in Kuwait. All others were released after questioning but the two were referred to the public prosecution for further investigation as a prelude to pressing criminal charges. "The whole affair was caused by some security officials who acted on weak information and rumours before verifying them," Mutairi said. The two soldiers were detained for about 40 days before being freed on bail. They were arrested on Jan 3, about 20 days after the US embassy warned that it had "credible information that terrorist groups" were preparing to carry out attacks in the country in the near future.

Source: Arab Times Online

My New Favorite Picture

My new favorite picture...
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Also, my weblog is 2 years old today! Here's my very first month of posts! What a difference a couple of years makes, huh?

NANA ALERT!

It looks like my mom has finally got some pictures uploaded to her online photo album. She's using the same service that I am, but having problems uploading in bulk... which may be a good thing for us all. I have a sneaking suspicion that when she masters it there will be a torrent of grandkid pictures. Of course, that's the whole point, so there's really no reason to fear it...

Her album is up at http://www.pixagogo.com/papanana

I've got about 5 weeks left here, so I've got to start packing all the crap I've accumulated over the past year and half here. I'm told that it's a common problem for contractors... the amassing of junk that you thought you really needed, and in truth you could have managed just fine without it. And then you've got to figure out what to do with it. My method has been to just put it on the shelf and deal with it later... of course I had to buy shelves, and now I've got to figure out what to do with those too. It's a vicious cycle. Most the stuff I will just pass on to other contractors, and make it their problem. The smarter ones pass on the "free stuff"; the dumber ones think I'm doing them a favor... the REALLY dumb ones buy the stuff from me. hehe

More later, gotta run to work! Mike left to go on leave today... he's been here for nearly a year straight without leave, so he was WAY overdue. He was nearly as cynical and jaded as I was when I took my couple of months of last fall. He's got a lot of fun things planned for his trip home, so he should come back his normal and happy self... just in time for me to bounce out of here.

Love to all!

Ever have days like this?
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